


The Dregs

by Deonara2012



Category: Block B, Speed (Kpop)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Space, Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-07
Updated: 2015-03-07
Packaged: 2018-03-16 18:41:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3498845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deonara2012/pseuds/Deonara2012
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the head of the Starlight corporation goes back on his promise not to transfer any of his team without them asking, Taewoon decides it's time to get them all out of there. Too late, the boss remembers that sending someone after his family is bound to have consequences.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Dregs

**Author's Note:**

> Half written for a friend of mine, half for a challenge to fit as many prompts as possible into a fic, I wound up with this. The prompts: 3. beaten black and blue, 5. deep in thought, 6. see for yourself, 7. broken promise, 9. your time is up, 10. H2O
> 
> This was FUN.

"Welcome to the dregs of the Starlight Corporation," Taewoon said every time he got a new team member. The reaction ranged from angry disbelief to weary acceptance, and it never took long for resignation to set in.

He didn't want that, though. While considered the dregs by everyone else, he had determined to work them (and himself) just as if they were top tier. If he didn't, how would their status ever improve? No matter what anyone else thought (including the other members of his team), he knew they could be better. Were better. Aside from that, the more skills they had, the less chance he had of losing one of his team members on a mission. Since he'd taken over the leadership of this group, that had decreased significantly, and he'd lead the current lineup for months now.

"You can't believe him," JungWoo said when Taewoon came back from a meeting with the boss, explaining that the head of Starlight had promised he wouldn't lose any more team members. This current team wouldn't change unless someone asked or one died (but that wouldn't happen anymore, he'd made sure of it). "He doesn't keep promises."

"I have to hope," Taewoon said, and then he smiled, and JungWoo's eyebrows arched. "He doesn't think I'll fight for them."

Hope was about all he had left. This team, stuck in the basement with substandard housing and equipment and no training facility to speak of, was the closest any of them had to a family, or they wouldn't have accepted this so readily. Taewoon, as far as he knew (and he was pretty sure), was the only exception. He had a brother also in Starlight, and that was why he (marginally) trusted the man heading it. Occasionally word came down to him about the brilliant team leader Zico and his team, pride of Starlight. Taewoon didn't mind the unflattering comparisons between his team and Zico's because of what he'd sacrificed to get Zico there, staying down in the basement with the "dregs" of the company to keep them (or him) "under control" or so the boss said. People joined the company because they wanted on Zico's team (which never changed people; he had the clout to keep those he wanted with him).

Aside from himself and the boss, only Jungwoo knew about the relationship between them, and Taewoon was fairly certain that held true through the whole company, possibly including Zico himself, as Taewoon had never told him where he was going when he left or that he planned to change his name. Jungwoo had promised to keep his secret as long as he could. As long as nothing happened to Taewoon, he'd keep it forever.

"Excuse me."

Taewoon hadn't heard the knock at his office door, staring sightlessly at the request form he needed to fill out. He looked up at that, setting the paperwork aside, and beckoned his two youngest (but not newest) team members into his office. "What's up?"

SeJoon shut the door and then joined SungMin in front of his desk, shoulder to shoulder. They were a near match in height, but SeJoon was nearly twice SungMin's width. They both looked confused with a touch of distaste. "This," SungMin said, handing over a paper. "We both got one."

Frowning, Taewoon took the paper and read it. His frown deepened as he read it again, then he looked up at them. "He's transferring you two - and only you two?" They nodded. "- to the operation on Mars."

A hellhole. SeJoon would maybe survive, but SungMin wouldn't last a week, if that long. Taewoon checked the orders again, then nodded. "Go and pack."

"You're going to make us go?" SeJoon demanded.

Taewoon slowly stood. "You don't want to go? You didn't ask for this transfer?"

"No," SungMin said.

"Of course not," SeJoon said.

Taewoon looked down at the desk, trying to come to terms with it all, and set the paper down. "Give me yours," he said to SeJoon. "I'll go see what I can do. Send Jungwoo in here, and start packing."

Looking disappointed, SeJoon handed him the letter, and the two left. Taewoon stayed on his feet, comparing the two letters (not even with names on them, must have been on the envelope), until Jungwoo came in, closing the door behind him, and sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk. "What is it?"

"Transfer orders for SeJoon and SungMin," Taewoon said, and handed the paper over. It shook as badly as his hand did. "Neither of them want to go."

"I told you," Jungwoo said, taking it to read.

"You did. I'm not letting him do this to them."

"What are you going...." Jungwoo trailed off, his eyes widening. "Mars? They'll last two days."

"Approximately," Taewoon said, and carefully folded the letter in front of him. "I'm going to talk to him. You get the others packing. SeJoon and SungMin already started."

"Why the others?" Jungwoo asked, getting to his feet.

"In case."

Not a great answer, but Jungwoo seemed to understand anyway. "Be careful." He got up and set the transfer letter on Taewoon's desk before going to the door. "Yell if you need anything."

"I will, thanks." Taewoon gathered up the two papers again, reading through them one more time, then went to talk to the boss.

 

The small barracks held the seven of them easily. The men living here had learned long ago that no one above them cared about the state of their living conditions or their working conditions, or even if they had decent training. They got assigned missions no one else would take, which was why originally there had been so much turnover. Taewoon, on the other hand, cared very much about it. He made sure everyone did their job to keep the area clean and uncluttered so they could get around easily, and made sure they kept everything in as good repair as possible. They used everything until it couldn't be used any more. What they couldn't use he set up as an obstacle course and other places to train, creating something to help them improve in a space no one used.

No one questioned Jungwoo when he told the rest of them to start packing, and they all started when he did. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw SungMin and SeJoon brighten, and he smiled briefly. Jungwoo packed light (not that he had a choice), and then went to Taewoon's bunk. As team leader, he didn't share, but he kept it as uncluttered as he expected the rest of them to. In his footlocker, Jungwoo found the small lockbox he knew Taewoon would want, and he stuck it in his own bag before finding one of Taewoon's to pack up his things. Finished quickly, he took both bags to the door and leaned against it, listening at one of the open pipes just outside. They'd found that if someone yelled from specific places in the company - the area around the boss's office being one - they could hear just fine.

Without yelling, they could only hear indistinct murmurs, but Jungwoo knew Taewoon's voice well enough to know when he spoke. He could hear him now, his voice getting louder and more distinct with each exchange. "Be careful," Jungwoo muttered, eyes narrowed as he concentrated on the pipe across the hall.

"You gave them to me! You promised I could keep them!" Taewoon shouted, and Jungwoo stiffened at the clear words coming across the hall at him.

"What was that?" YooHwan asked, straightening.

"Nothing good," Jungwoo said. "Finish up."

"Done," TaeHa said, his word echoed by the others.

"Good," Jungwoo said. "Get ready to move."

"Where to?" JongKook asked, shouldering his bag and medikit and walking toward the door. The others fell in behind him.

"I don't know yet," Jungwoo said. "But I expect to know soon."

A roar for security came through the pipe, and then, much closer - he must be out of the office - "Jungwoo! Get them out of there!"

"Right," Jungwoo said, and grabbed JongKook, shoving him out the door. "Go. Scatter. Hide. You know this area better than anyone, and we will get out of here but you need to hide first. Don't let security find you. Don't attack them if they come close. Stay hidden."

He grabbed the two bags at his feet and followed TaeHa into the huge room where they worked. It didn't take long for any of them to disappear into the machinery, each and every piece they hid in unusable for one reason or another. Jungwoo climbed up on one and slid onto the pipes lining the ceiling, taking the time to tie the bags together and settle them firmly on other pipes nearby. The dim light and mass of machinery would work on their side, and he started to map out how they were going to get out - glad that although Taewoon was the biggest of them, he was still pretty small. He'd have to factor in Taewoon's injuries, but JongKook would be able to help there.

Shouting preceded the men who came down after them, throwing their barracks door open so it crashed against the wall. "Clear, no one in here!" someone yelled, and then he saw them, blood red uniforms spilling into the area.

To their credit, they searched fairly thoroughly, trying to turn on the equipment, looking everywhere. Or at least they thought they did. It took a while, but they finally gave up, the leader reporting that they hadn't found anyone. They filed back into the stairwell, the doorway across from the entrance to the barracks.

Jungwoo didn't look away from the stairs where they'd come in, waiting. He hadn't seen Taewoon, and he wasn't going without him. When the last of the security detail were gone, he let out his breath in a sigh. "Don't move," he said quietly, his voice carrying through the area. "They're not done yet."

Absolute silence met his words, and he relaxed a little.

Not much later he heard another disturbance at the stairwell, and Jungwoo watched carefully. Two men came in, carrying something between them - not something, someone - and dropped him carelessly on the floor. But they didn't leave, and Jungwoo glared at them, willing them to move somewhere so the team could see how bad Taewoon was.

"Communications up and running," TaeHa's voice said into his ear, quiet so he didn't jump, and so TaeHa's voice didn't carry through the cavernous room.

Jungwoo blinked, touching the link they all wore, so used to it he no longer thought about it. Even if sometimes it didn't work. "Thank you," he said, his own voice quiet. The mics were good enough to pick up their voices even in a low whisper now. TaeHa had done well. "YooHwan, can you do something about those two?"

He waited through the silence as YooHwan studied it through, knowing he needed the time. "I think so. I just need a minute to get out of here." And then, seconds later, "do you want them dead?"

Good question. Jungwoo considered. "Can you take care of them without killing them?"

"Probably."

"Do your best."

They didn't see him coming, apparently not expecting the dregs to be so skilled, but Taewoon had trained and pushed and done his best, and they'd risen to the challenge. Both men went down without a sound and without blood, and, from what Jungwoo could see, still breathing. "Wait," YooHwan said before anyone could move. "There are more on the stairs."

"How many?"

"I can't tell. Want me to look?"

"No."

"How's Taewoon?" JongKook asked before Jungwoo could ask how he know there were people on the stairs.

"Breathing. Unconscious. Can we get him out?" YooHwan asked

"Yes," Jungwoo said. "Are the people on the stairs moving?"

"Waiting, but shifting. They're not used to staying put. SeJoon, can you get out here pretty quick?"

"It'll take me some," SeJoon's deep voice sounded through the link. "Why?"

"I can't close this door and you can. And make it stay closed."

"Give me a few."

"JongKook, go with him, but don't get in the way," Jungwoo said. JongKook snorted but didn't say anything.

"Do you want covering fire?" SungMin asked.

"Have you got that thing working?" Jungwoo asked. Silence answered him.

"How would you like a real gun?" YooHwan asked. "Or two?"

"Theirs?" SungMin asked, and Jungwoo had to stifle a snicker at the pure avarice in his voice.

"Yeah. Standard issue, can be used by anyone."

"Please, Hyung, if you wouldn't mind."

"Don't hit me and they're yours. And their ammo," YooHwan added, his smirk obvious in his tone.

SungMin sighed. "No cover fire, then. Be fast."

"Be prepared anyway," Jungwoo said.

"Yes sir," SungMin said.

SeJoon crept into view, sneaking nearly as quiet as YooHwan had, and JongKook joined them almost immediately. SeJoon stretched his arms and shoulders, then stepped into the stairwell. "Hey," he said, and yanked the door shut.

Even over the comm units, Jungwoo heard the lock click. "Move move move," he said, and swung down, dropping to the ground easily.

"They did a number on him," JongKook said, the mic picking up his words even as he spoke normally. "He'll be okay, probably, but he's dead weight." He'd had already started to staunch Taewoon's blood. They'd have to be careful not to let it drip and leave a trail.

"Good thing I planned for that," Jungwoo said. SungMin and TaeHa joined them, and within moments, they'd worked out where they needed to go and how to get there, and SungMin had further armed himself with the weapons on the security guys that had brought Taewoon back, one in his bag with the ammunition, the other on his belt under his too-big shirt.

The sudden pounding on the door merely drove them faster, hoisting their unconscious leader up onto the pipes, where JungWoo grabbed their bags and added them to SeJoon's, which he already carried. "Any chance of hacking into their communication?" he asked TaeHa.

"I'll link you in," TaeHa said, and Jungwoo smiled. He should have known. "Just don't say anything. Turn off your mic, or he'll hear us." Jungwoo did as he directed.

"Someone is on the way down with the key," a familiar voice said, the dispatcher for all the teams, although this time without the mocking they usually heard. "And the tracker team is getting ready."

"Lovely," Jungwoo muttered, watching as they moved slowly along the pipes, careful to keep Taewoon steady and not injure him further. "They're sending a team after us." JongKook gave him a startled glance, then stopped SeJoon. He took an ace bandage from his medic kit, sliced a length off, and carefully gagged Taewoon, in case he woke up in the middle of their move. Any sound would give them away, and with a team after them, that was good thinking.

"Which?" YooHwan asked from the front.

"I don't know. A tracker...." Jungwoo stopped and swore, softly and fervently, under his breath.

There was only one tracker team. Only one.

"We're ready," a young, unfamiliar voice said. JungWoo could guess who it was, the inflection and everything too familiar, if the voice wasn't. He swore again.

"What is it?" SungMin asked.

"They're sending Zico after us."

TaeHa looked at him, as stunned as the rest of them had to be. "What? Why?"

"Who knows, but they are," Jungwoo said. "SeJoon, how's it going?"

The tall blond didn't look up from making sure his team leader didn't slip off the pipes as he kept moving. "Good."

"You're close," YooHwan said. "Watch your head."

"You have the go-ahead," the dispatcher said, and Jungwoo paused, listening closely. "Non-lethal if you can do it. He wants them alive."

"What'd they do?" that near-familiar voice asked.

"Team leader broke the boss-man's nose."

Jungwoo stared at the snicker, ill-stifled, that he heard presumably from who he guessed was Zico. "Alright. We're going in."

Not good. Jungwoo moved forward as they heard the pounding stop, and then someone working the key in the lock. He grabbed TaeHa and whispered what he wanted. TaeHa nodded, and the dispatcher's voice no longer droned in his ear. He switched his mic on. "Listen. They have to check everywhere. If we keep quiet, we can stay ahead of them." He barely whispered the words, but everyone nodded. "We have to be silent from now on." He switched off his equipment, noting as the rest did as well. There was sudden silence from the door, and he got them moving again.

They'd reached the wall and the vent they'd take out when the door slammed open. All of them turned to watch because they'd never seen how the top team worked together, and Jungwoo felt his jaw drop open. They could never hope to come anywhere close to that.

A sharply indrawn breath brought his head around, and his eyes met Taewoon's. Jungwoo crept forward so he could lean close to him and explain, relieved to see him awake. "We're on our way out. There's a tracker team coming after us."

Hand shaking, Taewoon pulled the gag out of his mouth. "Zico?" he asked softly.

"I believe so."

Taewoon sighed. "Keep going," he whispered, and started to struggle to move. SeJoon steadied him as JongKook helped him to his feet. Jungwoo winced at how painful the movement looked.

They went faster now that Taewoon could move on his own. Not long after their first glimpse of Zico's team (Jungwoo had no doubts, watching them), they got out into the artificial sunlight of a courtyard. YooHwan and TaeHa did something together that sounded really complicated but got the surveillance camera to cover not quite so much area. They didn't wait for someone to appear to check on it, slipping carefully along the path it left them to a warehouse with the door open wide. No one moved inside, so it wasn't being used or was only used rarely. The building would afford them a place to rest, to take care of Taewoon, and to figure out their next steps.

 

"Blood," Taeil said, crouched down on the floor between the bodies of the security guards someone had quite efficiently knocked out. "Pretty fresh."

Zico nodded. "He said security went overboard," he said. No one had jumped out at them when they'd gone in, and only a fool would rely on security reports. Considering the length of time between the return of the team leader and when the door shut, security had missed a lot.

"His orders," Kyung said wryly. Zico privately agreed.

"Barracks are empty," MinHyuk informed him over the earpiece. "Checking in depth, but I don't think they plan to come back. Foot lockers are empty, and so are all the little things people keep around."

"If they had any," Zico muttered.

"Zico, you need to see this," YuKwon said as he and Kyung returned from scouting the large room. The barracks were actually just walled off from this room, a temporary housing solution made permanent.

"What?" he asked, following YuKwon and Kyung, leaving JaeHyo with Taeil. Until they'd found this renegade team, his stayed in pairs.

Kyung turned around and smiled wryly at him. "Apparently, they aren't given a real chance to train, which is why they're still the dregs after they've been down here a while," he said, then they turned around a piece of decrepit equipment Zico couldn't even identify, and stopped. "What does this look like to you?"

Someone had strewn the area with bits of machinery, building it up in places. In fact, it looked like.... "That's an obstacle course," he said, surprised. "He's training them."

"The weapons range is over there," YuKwon said, gesturing to something that actually looked like what YuKwon had called it. Barely. "The weapons are ancient, but they're still managing to hit in the bulls eye."

Ancient indeed, if they were using a bulls eye. "So they're not as untrained as everyone thinks," Zico said, turning to look over the obstacle course. He could see it clearer now that he knew what it was. In spite of the materials used, they'd created a good course, too. "Do you think he knows?" His eyes flicked up, toward the upper floor.

Kyung snorted scornfully. "No."

"So... why send us?" Zico asked.

"We're the best," Pyo's deep voice boomed over the link. "Hyung, there's something here you need to see."

"On my way," Zico said, turning to head back. Kyung and YuKwon followed. "I take it they're not here?"

Kyung shook his head. "They were, and not too long ago, but they're gone now, as far as I can tell."

Zico didn't doubt him. "They didn't go out the way we came in. Figure out where and how they went." He sped up, leaving them behind.

Someone had collected the two unconscious security men, and JaeHyo and Taeil had gone elsewhere, checking through the large area. He caught a glimpse of them walking slowly toward an area they'd checked really quickly. He left them to a more thorough recon and turned into the barracks.

He'd thought his team's living condition was basic, but this... was barely livable. Every unused bunk had been ripped apart, the pieces stacked neatly for easy access. Some of the used (formerly used) bunks had evidence that the team had had to repair them more than once. Pyo stood near the bunk obviously belonging to the team leader. It looked as cleaned out as the rest of the bunks. "What is it?" Zico asked.

"Lay down."

Without hesitation, he swung onto the bed, head on the pillow. A flash of color caught his eye and he pulled on it gently. The picture didn't come all the way out, but his jaw dropped open.

Zico had the identical picture on his bunk. He knew none of his team had ever seen it, but anyone who knew him would recognize him in the picture. Shoving it back into place, he sat up and toggled his headset from his team's frequency. "Dispatch."

"Yes."

"What's the name of the team leader?"

"Taewoon."

Zico froze. "Thanks," he said automatically, and toggled back just as automatically. He could hear JaeHyo and Kyung 'discussing' something but their words didn't quite register. He knew that name, vaguely remembered hearing it once, but he knew who it belonged to. When had he changed it in the company records? He got out of the bed and glanced around, catching MinHyuk's eye. MinHyuk shook his head; nothing more to find here. "Someone give me something." Hopefully they wouldn't hear his desperation.

"The pipes in the ceiling are pristine."

On the way out of the barracks, Zico exchanged another look with his second. "Say that again, JaeHyo?"

"The pipes up here have no dust on them."

Zico sped up. "Any of them?"

"Not that we can see," Taeil said. "But there is blood."

"Can you track them with it?"

"They moved a bit, so we need help, but yeah. It seems to go in one direction."

"Does it look like a decoy?"

"Send Kyung up. He's better at that," Taeil said.

"We're all coming," Zico said.

"Nothing in the office," Kyung reported as he joined them with YuKwon. "Just a pile of requisition forms. He was trying to get better equipment, better anything for them. It looked like he has been trying for a long time."

"The denials took up four drawers," YuKwon added, sounding disgusted. "In file by week. It covered a couple of years."

Zico shook his head and followed Taeil's instructions on how to get up to the pipes. Once there, he realized just how weird it was to have all the pipes clean. No matter how far his light reached, he found no dust on any of them. JaeHyo wasn't kidding about the pristine comment.

"If he hadn't bled, we'd have it a lot harder," Kyung said after a moment. "But I see where they went."

"Let's go," Zico said.

He kept an eye on the ground under them, just in case, but he felt a grudging respect growing for this team. They had no hope of actually getting free, but that wasn't because they were bad at what they did. No. It was because they were bad at what they did, but it wasn't their fault. They'd done a great job with substandard training and equipment. Given the opportunities his team had gotten, they'd be as good as his own.

They emerged into a courtyard they knew well, and glanced around. "Now where?" Zico asked.

After a few moments of silence, Kyung grinned. "They jury-rigged the camera." He pointed to where it still turned, but no longer covered the whole courtyard. "I bet they went this way." He gestured to the left.

"The team leader's conscious," Taeil said softly. "I'm not seeing any more blood drops. They'll stop to attend to him and to plan."

"Because that's what we'd do," Zico agreed. "Where?"

"The camera isn't covering this area," MinHyuk said. "This way." He gestured toward the warehouse. "What's in there?"

"Nothing important," JaeHyo said, checking on his screen. "It's just storage for old things, in transition. They'll be moving things in next week, but for now, it's just junk."

"Plenty of places to hide," Pyo rumbled.

"Good place to stop for a breather," Zico agreed. "Let's go. Take it slow."

They slipped in through the open door, listening hard for any noise, but they heard nothing. With a gesture, Zico fanned them out to either side of him, each of them keeping an eye on the people nearest him. They'd covered maybe half the space when YuKwon froze and held a hand up to stop them; the signal traveled down the line and they all looked at him. He gestured to his left, where they could see a small office, the door shut, blinds pulled. Zico nodded and they turned, sweeping around in an arc toward it.

As they got closer, Zico could hear voices, weary and quiet, but not quiet enough in this building.

"Team leader Zico," Dispatch said suddenly, his voice soft but urgent.

Zico stopped, holding up a hand to signal the others. They froze. "Yes," he said, just as quietly.

"Abort."

"What?" He barely remembered to keep it quiet.

"Abort. They weren't supposed to send you."

Zico hesitated, then sent his team on. He had to know. "Why not?" he asked, then toggled his headset to his team. "Get in there," he ordered them, and they sped up.

"Someone misunderstood the orders from the boss. Bring your team back in."

Zico toggled his headset back to dispatch. "We have them cornered," he said coldly, his voice soft as he followed his team toward the office. "If we leave now, we'll lose them."

"Tell us where you are, and get out of there." The head of the company spoke just as softly and urgently as Dispatch had, but with a hint of stuffiness. He really had broken the boss's nose. "Leave them for the back up team."

"Why?" Zico demanded, still keeping his voice quiet.

Pyo took the door down, and with it a tall blond just as big as he was. The rest of his team spilled in.

"Don't resist," a voice said, one that sounded just a bit too familiar, and thoroughly desperate. Zico faltered. "Don't hurt them! We won't...." He trailed off, gasping for breath.

"Because you were sent as a mistake."

"It's too late," Zico said. "We're in." He toggled back to his own team, cutting off the boss's swearing. "Taeil?"

"One injured, although how Pyo didn't take that blond out I don't know," Taeil said, an odd tone to his voice. "The rest are contained. Come on in."

Almost hesitant, Zico stepped into the small office. His first glimpse of the team everyone made jokes about nearly made his bile rise. They were malnourished and pale, dirt rubbed into the skin to hide it. Their clothes were not much more than rags, although in good repair. The equipment he could see was as outdated as their training ground, three or four generations removed from his own. The only new equipment he knew of was the missing weapons from the security personnel they'd left unconscious (not dead) at the bottom of the stairs.

Taeil knelt next to a man Zico wouldn't have recognized if he hadn't known who he was. Security had split his lip, bloodied his nose, and blacked one eye, just enough swelling to distort his face. His open shirt revealed ill-wrapped bandages, between which peeked the purple of fresh bruises. The medikit open next to him - not Taeil's - looked old and well used, and very ill-stocked. Looking away as Taeil began to cut the bandages away, including the one hanging loosely about his neck, what they'd used to keep him quiet in case he woke up (smart, so smart, this was such a waste), Zico checked the rest out.

None of them struggled against the member of his team pinning them down. Not one of them even looked at him, their eyes and attention on their leader. They looked tired, exhausted, as if the short run they'd done was all they could do, and yet.... He knew, if their team leader told them to, they'd fight. But he'd ordered them not to resist. Zico hadn't even heard them protest it.

"JaeHyo, I need you to listen in on Dispatch, find out who they'll send after us," Zico said.

"No," Taeil murmured to the man sitting next to him, one of the Dregs, who looked utterly devastated. "It's not your fault. The best doctor in the world couldn't do any better with that." His dismissive gesture took in the kit open next to him, then he glanced around. "You should get some water." He directed the man next to him to the fridge where he could find water bottles. "Make sure everyone gets some." The man nodded and went.

"Dispatch is quiet," JaeHyo reported.

"Try frequency 38," a small, delicate-looking young man said, peeking around Kyung's shoulder to look at JaeHyo. "That's what they use when they don't want anyone else to hear."

Zico could imagine why he'd figured that out, and it surprised him that he'd been able to at all. He could also see, in his team as they relaxed slightly, letting their captives go, how much they despised this assignment. And a knowledge of just how much the company had wasted. He sighed and left it to JaeHyo to gather information and looked over the others, all seated on the floor now, looking like they needed the rest. "What started this?"

"I think it was us."

This one was young, sweet-faced, Zico noted; YuKwon had already disarmed him, the missing weapons kicked clear of any of them. He gripped the metal water bottle the dregs' medic had retrieved.

"We got transfer orders," the blond said, his voice nearly as deep as Pyo's. "He and I. We went to the team leader about it, because he'd said nothing about being dissatisfied with us or our work."

"He was surprised when he said we hadn't asked to be transferred," the boy with YuKwon added.

"Why wouldn't you ask to be transferred?" MinHyuk asked, only curiosity in his tone.

"And leave the only team leader who actually cares?" the blond scoffed.

"Transferred where?" Zico asked.

"Mars." That same voice, gravelly with pain, made Zico turn, but Taewoon didn't open his eyes. "They're not even legal - SungMin won't be for a year - and he's sending them to Mars."

Zico swallowed, ignoring his team as they exchanged infuriated and disbelieving glances. "And so you went to talk to the boss."

"He promised me I could keep them. He promised me this team was mine."

"He doesn't keep promises," one said, with the air of an old argument, often repeated.

"He kept one," Taewoon snapped, and then gasped and went quiet again.

"They're still trying to find us," JaeHyo said into the silence. "They've found the obstacle course, I think, but they don't know what it is." Kyung snorted.

"Anyone we have to worry about?"

"Not really. They're pretty sure they can find us - I mean them - the same way we did."

"Only if they think to check the ceiling," Kyung said. "Not likely."

Zico dismissed them. "What promise did he keep?" he asked.

Taewoon opened his eyes, although the left didn't open far, eyes meeting Zico's gaze. "To keep my little brother out of the Dregs."

Everything around them stopped. Zico caught the Dregs staring at their team leader out of the corner of his eye. "You went down there on purpose?" he asked.

"It worked," Taewoon said. "And I tried to prove we were just as good, but he kept taking my team. I don't even know how many asked to be transferred, I just...." He gasped for breath, and Taeil stopped whatever he was doing. "I made him promise, no more. No more transfers if someone doesn't request it."

"Or what?" Zico asked, and Taeil resumed his ministrations, the young man next to him watching avidly.

"Or I'd break his nose."

Only half the snickers came from Zico's team. "And then I'd take my team to the media and show them what he does to his workers."

Dead silence met those words.

"The abort order makes no sense," JaeHyo said, but his attention was still on his headset, the other team searching for them. Zico should have known JaeHyo had heard that, but it still surprised him. Mostly that JaeHyo hadn't said anything when he ordered them in anyway.

"What?" MinHyuk demanded, glaring at Zico. "They called us off? When?"

"Just before Pyo took the door down," Zico said.

"Before?" MinHyuk repeated, glaring at Zico.

"Why?" YuKwon asked. "If he's going to the media, the abort and even the non-lethal order make no sense."

Zico's lips twisted into a bitter smile. "He knows better than to send anyone after family. He even said it was a mistake that they sent us." He glanced at JaeHyo. "Anything?"

It was enough to divert them from his last statement, if barely, and he know, from the look in MinHyuk's eye, there would be an interrogation later. As long as it happened _later_.

"They're still wandering around," JaeHyo said. "No one's said anything...." He stopped. "I'm not sure. Just a sec." He turned to the delicate-looking kid, hesitated, then glanced at Zico. Zico nodded. They were all in it now. "You monitor frequency 38. I'll look around."

"Secondary secrets are 92, but they might know someone knows about that," the kid said with a grimace.

"Not your fault, TaeHa," Taewoon said quietly. "There was nothing you could have done about that."

Zico didn't ask; they didn't have time. He turned back to Taewoon anyway, one thought eating at him. "We can't guarantee that this new team is ordered non-lethal."

"We'll get out of your hair, then," Taewoon said, and started to get to his feet. His own medic jumped up to help him, obviously used to this.

"What about something for the pain?" Taeil asked as Taewoon caught his balance.

Zico planted a hand in Taewoon's chest and pushed him against the wall. "I can't let you go," he said quietly, and didn't look around at the sudden silence. "We were told to bring you in, and we will." Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Taeil grab Taewoon's medic and push him away from them.

Taewoon gripped Zico's shirt and pulled him close. "Jiho," he said quietly, desperation more obvious than before. Zico flinched minutely at his birth name. He hadn't heard it in years. "You have to let them... I mean. You can't let him ship them off to Mars. Let them go, say you didn't catch them, whatever, I'll stay, but please. Don't let him do that to them. It'll kill them. And he'll send the rest of them, I'm sure of it."

"He wants all of you. He said so explicitly."

Taewoon shook his head, not seeming to notice Zico's hand still heavy on his chest, pressing on his bruises and possibly cracked ribs. "Please. You can't let him kill them." He pulled Zico closer without looking away. "It'd be like sending Pyo and Kyung. Can you do that? Could you let them go without a fight?"

Zico shook his head, not surprised that Taewoon knew the names of his team members. "I can't," he said, so quietly. "I can't, because he'll think we...."

Something slammed into his head, and he slumped against Taewoon, trying to regain his senses. Someone yanked his hands behind them, securing them, then set him gently down on the ground, face down.

 

"Don't take anything you don't know how to use," Jungwoo said as his team finished securing the rest of the tracker team. Taewoon shook his head, trying to figure out what had just happened, and then caught sight of the steel water bottles Zico's medic had so helpfully told JongKook where to find. He felt a bit out of it, but then realized that while Zico had intended to take them back in, the rest had given in without a fight. Even that wasn't right, since the Taeil urged his own medikit on JongKook, and MinHyuk spoke urgently with Jungwoo, their voices quiet. He thought he heard some sort of directions.

TaeHa looked regretful as he stood up from next to JaeHyo. His avarice for new communications tech was as bad as SungMin's for upgraded weapons. "Who did you say was coming after us?"

"Eunkwang's team," JaeHyo said, sitting against the wall. He looked comfortable even with his hands bound behind him. "Hopefully, they'll be so busy laughing at us that you'll have a good head start."

"Thank you," TaeHa said, and then YooHwan lifted a concealed vent cover, and SeJoon slithered in.

"Let's go," Jungwoo said, tugging gently on Taewoon's arm. "You'll have it rough, but you can manage it."

"What about him?" Taewoon gestured back to where Zico was starting to lose his dazed expression.

"He'll be fine," MinHyuk said, also bound and sitting against the wall a fair distance from everyone else. "Pyo will sit on him until he is."

Taewoon glanced at Pyo, who looked all too pleased at the prospect in spite of being tied up, and smiled. "Right," he said, and very carefully slid into the vent, each movement sending pain shooting through his sides and chest. He heard TaeHa follow him, and the others. Eventually, the vent cover shut.

He thought he should have taken Taeil up on his offer, only to remember that he hadn't had the chance to. Crawling through the vents was nightmarish, and by the time they emerged in a maintenance tunnel, he could barely think beyond pulling himself forward. He sat next to the vent they left, trying to catch his breath as the rest of the team crawled out after him, looking even worse than they had before this whole thing had started.

"I can give you something for that," JongKook said, kneeling next to him.

"What do you have that isn't going to put me out or mess with my head?" Taewoon asked.

JongKook looked over the medic kit, taking care to read everything he found. "Nothing really," he said slowly. "Not that I can find this fast."

"Then I'll pass, thanks. Help me up?"

JongKook got to his feet and helped him up, then pressed one of the water bottles on him. Taewoon took it gratefully and drank, emptying it. "Keep it," JongKook said when he started to hand it back, and Taewoon clipped it on his belt. He noted in passing that it had a dent in it. He had to wonder if it matched the bump on Zico's head.

Dismissing the thought, he glanced around, trying to get his bearings. To his surprise, he actually recognized the area. "There's a place we can at least get cleaned up not too far from here," he said, and they all looked at him in surprise.

"You know this place?" SungMin asked.

Taewoon smiled wryly. "These tunnels were my playground when I was younger." It was more of an effort not to say we since he'd actually talked to his brother for the first time in years. "My dad worked maintenance on this station the whole time I grew up, and brought me to work with him when school was out. I can get us almost anywhere from here. Come on." He pushed away from the wall and started walking.

"Change of clothes?"

Taewoon shook his head. "No, but we can wash these, and hope they don't fall apart more than they have. And refill water bottles." He'd noticed that most of his team carried one, and most of those were empty.

It made them all perk up, and although the washroom didn't sport a shower, it did give them water to wash with. He'd forgotten how bright blond SeJoon really was. And it felt wonderful to have warm water to clean with.

"If we're going out the maintenance shaft, there's no reason to clean up too much," SeJoon said after a minute. "We'll look weird with our clothes clean."

"Good thinking," Taewoon said, and looked at TaeHa. "What news?"

TaeHa looked at him, surprised. "Um. Zico's team was found, and there are a lot of things going out and around. Some of it has to do with the fact that we took them down." He grimaced. "He's keeping really quiet. His second is handling everything."

"Is it safe for us to go out?" JungWoo asked.

"As far as I can tell, they're still trying to work everything out. The channel they use to keep us out of the loop is quiet, but I don't know if that's because JaeHyo-sshi told them I knew it, or it's all being handled on official channels."

Taewoon held up a hand before anyone could ask TaeHa any more questions; he looked exhausted. So did the rest of them. "Listen. We can hole up not too far from here and figure out what we've got and where we can go, and sleep. It won't be perfect, but I'm pretty sure not a lot of people know about it, and anyone that finds us we can subdue until we get out of there." He took the water bottle off his belt and filled it, handing it to Jungwoo when he noticed his second didn't have one. Jungwoo drank, and then Taewoon filled it again when the others had finished. "Let's get out of here. Make sure the lights are off and everything's sealed up tight."

He led the way back into the maintenance tunnel and passed a couple of junctions, finding the small hide-away he and Jiho had used to sneak naps in while their father worked. He knew about it, certainly, but his father had retired years ago. Taewoon had no idea what the room had once been, but now it was empty, as empty as it had been when he and Jiho had spent time down here. It was a tight fit, if not as bad as it could have been. It took him a while to settle down, his body aching from everything that had happened.

Finally, JongKook slapped a patch on his neck. "Sleep," he said, and the drugs worked so well and so fast, Taewoon didn't even have time to try to get it off before he could feel it working, and he sank into sleep.

When he woke up, SeJoon sat against the door, looking awake. The others relaxed against the walls, resting, but JongKook sat next to him when he moved. "Hang on," he said softly. "You're going to be sore."

Sore wasn't the word, Taewoon thought as his medic helped him sit up. Every muscle, bone, and vital organ in his torso screamed its unhappiness with the movement, and he couldn't stifle a groan.

"Were you serious about going to the media?" Jungwoo asked when Taewoon had finally gotten comfortable.

"Yes," Taewoon said, and everyone around them stilled, listening. "What he's doing can't be legal. Did you bring my lock box?"

"Of course," Jungwoo said.

"I need it."

When he had it in his hands, Taewoon opened it carefully. Everything inside was necessary, records going back for all the years he'd been in the dregs. "TaeHa, you have those recordings?"

TaeHa nodded. "Of course."

"Good." Taewoon sighed and winced as his ribs shifted. "The next thing is to contact someone who can do something about this." He picked a small card out of the lockbox, brushing it off. He'd kept it for a long time, and he could only hope the number still worked. "So we need a phone."

"That means getting out of here, right?" YooHwan asked.

"Yep," Taewoon said, and started to get to his feet. JongKook and SungMin seemed to materialize at his side, helping him stand, and he leaned briefly on SungMin, just to get his balance. When he could move again, he started off, leading them toward the exit to the tunnel.

The artificial sunlight was dimmer, probably due to the clouds covering it. Apparently someone had scheduled rain or that afternoon. Not too far down the street they found a public phone, and Taewoon braced himself against the walls as his team spread out, looking casual but also keeping an eye on him. Carefully, he dialed the number on the card, and then closed his eyes and hoped.

"Channel 14, Lee Joon's office," a bright voice said, female and young. "How may I help you?"

"He gave me his card a while ago," Taewoon said, softly. "Is he still interested in knowing what it's like inside Starlight Corporation?"

The girl's breath hitched. "The big one?"

"Yes," Taewoon said. "From the bottom. The Dregs."

He could hear her scramble for something to write with. "Just a moment," she said breathlessly. "How does he get in contact with you?"

"He can't, currently," Taewoon said, relaxing a little, eyes closed. "But if he'd like to meet, I can arrange to be somewhere."

"One moment."

He couldn't hear what she did, but he imagined her scrolling through the reporter's calendar, looking for a time to meet. "Okay. Um. Where's the best place to meet you?"

Taewoon would have laughed if he didn't think it'd kill him. His ribs hurt enough. "Some place less up-scale," he said.

"Right." She sounded like that was familiar ground. Considering the reporter, it didn't surprised him. "Is it just you, or will there be more?"

Taewoon thought about that. "Just me."

"I'm coming with you," Jungwoo said flatly. Taewoon opened his eyes and wondered how long Jungwoo had stood there.

"Who's that?" She sounded wary.

"A friend. There will be two of us," Taewoon said, and waved Jungwoo away. He didn't go.

"That will be fine." She typed something, her keyboard loud, then relayed an address to him. "He'll meet you there in an hour. Can you make it?"

Taewoon scribbled it down, regarding it closely. "If not by then, shortly after," he said.

"Thank you. Oh. How will he know you?"

"I'll have a lockbox," Taewoon said. "He can know me by that."

"Done. Thank you," she said, and he hung up, sagging against the side of the phone booth.

Jungwoo plucked the address from his fingers and sighed. "Let's find out where we are, and then we can find out how to get there."

"They're sending people out," Taeha said, as soon as they all gathered around again. "EunKwang's team again."

"Then we keep to the shadows," Taewoon said. "Let's go."

"You stay here," Jongkook said, pushing him to a bench along the street. "We'll figure things out. Or they will, because I'm staying here, too."

"Good," Jungwoo said, and the others scattered, Taeha looking more distracted as he walked.

They all returned fairly quickly, each with the news that the meeting place wasn't very far. Taewoon got to his feet and tried to stretch his torso to ease the pain, not missing the looks the others gave him when it became obvious why he was doing so. "Hyung, you should stop that," SungMin said. "It looks painful."

"It hurts not to," Taewoon said. "It doesn't matter what I do."

He was glad for the hour, though, because moving hurt, and by the time they reached the address - a small cafe - he hurt more than he had before. He didn't actually think that was possible.

 

"I don't know," Joon said, climbing out of his car. "What can he have? I mean, I know there was something going on over there yesterday, but the chances of it being something to do with this call are pretty astronomical. Are you even sure he'll...." He slowed just outside of the cafe, and stared through the window at a table in the back. "You know what? Never mind. Hold my calls, I don't know how long I'll be." He yanked the link out of his ear and moved forward again, tucking it in his pocket. He went inside and approached the table. "My name is Lee Joon," he said, his eyes on the man who sat stiffly, his hand resting on a battered lockbox. "You called my office this afternoon."

"Woo Taewoon," the man said. "Forgive me for not standing, I'm not in very good shape."

Joon could see that. His hands and face were clean, but the clothes looked so well used most people would use them for rags, and they hung on him as if they'd fit, once. A still-fresh bruise ringed his left eye, and his split lip had scabbed over. "No," he said, and sat down. "This is?"

"Kim Jungwoo," the other man said. "I'm just here to make sure nothing goes wrong. He'll do all the talking."

Joon thought maybe Taewoon needed the help, and turned to him. "Okay. What is it you have?" he asked.

Taewoon smiled. "I am the team leader for the worst team from the company," he said quietly, and Joon leaned forward so his recorder would pick up the soft voice. "We're rather unaffectionately known as the "Dregs." People go there when they can't go any lower." He took a deep breath. "And from there, if they're transferred, it gets worse."

Joon regarded him quietly. "How bad is it?"

Taewoon smiled, and Joon nearly flinched at it. "Bad enough," he said, and gestured to his face. "I got this for protesting members of my team getting transferred to Starlight's Mars operation without a request. Neither of them are of legal age."

Joon blinked. "Okay. Start at the beginning. Would you like something to drink? Eat?"

"A drink would be nice," Taewoon said. "Thank you."

Joon caught the eye of a waiter and waved him over. "So," he said, when they had their drinks, "the beginning?"

It took a while to tell it all, and Joon couldn't do anything more than just stare at this man as he described the equipment, training practices, living conditions, everything of his team, including the number that had died before he'd taken over. It took a long time, and he ignored the calls that he kept getting. "Do you have proof of any of this?" he asked when Taewoon had wound down, looking even more exhausted than he had when Joon had first come in.

Taewoon smiled, a painful looking grimace that cracked the scab on his lip. He licked at the blood. "Only audio, and many hours of it. Ah... but not the most recent," he said, and looked at Jungwoo.

Jungwoo touched a very old version of Joon's link in his ear, something Joon hadn't noticed. "TaeHa, would you come in please?"

Taewoon carefully opened the lockbox and pulled out a cardboard box, something that had housed ammunition from weapons Joon knew only collectors still had. He fumbled and dropped it, and out spilled memory cards, each labeled with a date. Joon glanced at Taewoon, who scooped them up and put them back in the box, and then handed it over. "I have one request," he said quietly as a young man appeared at the table, looking just as bad as the two sitting there did, if more... delicate. "Please, don't let out the names. Some of the men on there are still useful, and good men, and I don't want them reviled or revealed because of me."

"You called?" the newcomer asked - TaeHa, hadn't Jungwoo said?

"I need your memory card," Taewoon said, and handed him a new one as he promptly removed one from the pack at his side. The equipment was old, and merely backed up what Taewoon had described. "Any news?"

"Still looking," TaeHa said, with a glance at Joon. "I think someone sent them in the other direction, though, because they're sticking near the wealthy areas."

"Anyone we know?"

TaeHa grinned, and Joon had to wonder how old TaeHa was. The smile erased years. "No one I'm certain of, but... my newest friend is a really good mimic."

Jungwoo stared at him, and then snickered. "You'll have to thank him."

"We all will," Taewoon said. "Thank you."

TaeHa bowed and took himself back out.

Joon watched him go, then looked back at Taewoon. "One of yours?" He hadn't missed anything in their interaction, especially not how the adoration shone from TaeHa's face, and loyalty shown by his team leader.

"Yes," Taewoon said. "Not one that started this... renegade behavior, however. Just one that would have suffered if we'd gone back."

Joon nodded slowly. Starlight's Mars operation would be worse than hell on that one. "You need a place to stay," he said. "Did they all come with you?" He thought he might know the answer, if they all felt about Taewoon the way TaeHa (and even Jungwoo) did.

"Yes," Taewoon said. "All six. But thank you. We'll manage. However, I think we need to get moving, before it's discovered that we aren't where they think we are." He slowly stood up, and nearly fell over. Jungwoo caught him, supporting him to keep him on his feet.

Joon stood as well, then reached carefully into his pocket to pull out his card file, aware of Jungwoo's wary gaze on him. Seven of them, and he only knew what three of them looked like. Extracting a card, Joon held it out to Jungwoo. "Take him here," he said as the man took the card to look at it. "They don't ask questions, and they don't answer them. They're an independent clinic, and they take in anyone who has a card. In fact," he added, "they'll take all of you, if you all look like him." He gestured after TaeHa. "You need help, because none of you are going to stay free if you don't get something in you that isn't water and air, and better care than you're getting."

"Thank you," Jungwoo said before Taewoon could say anything. "It's a resource we didn't have before."

"One thing," Joon said. "How do I get back in touch with you?"

"You don't," Taewoon said. "I'll call your office in a week. If you haven't heard from us, then it's a safe guess they found us and you can start looking for our obituaries on Mars."

"If he can't call you, I will," Jungwoo said.

It wasn't prime, but it was the best they could do. "I'll look forward to hearing from you, then," Joon said. "Thank you."

"Thank you," Taewoon said, leaning more on Jungwoo. "Do good with that." He gestured to the box on the table.

Joon nodded and watched them go, then looked at the box of memory cards. This was going to take a lot of people. Absently he put in his link again, and then paid the bill and picked up the box. "Hyosung," he said, as soon as the link connected him to his office. "I need a lot of people to help me go through some audio files. Oh, I don't know, probably fifty memory cards? They go back a while, but damn, girl, I think I got me this story I've wanted for years. They look too bad for it not to be true."

He climbed in his car. "No, it's going to take a lot of work, but I don't have anything urgent on my plate right now, do I? No, give that to Mir, he'll do fine with it." He pulled into traffic. "No, trust me. This is more important. I'll give you the file to transcribe, and I think you'll agree with me. I just wish I could have gotten a picture."

 

Taewoon stretched his legs out, careful to keep them out of the wide aisle leading to the departure gate. Behind him, he could hear SeJoon and SungMin arguing cheerfully about something so inconsequential he had no idea what they were talking about, but it still made him smile. He checked his ticket again, just to make sure (not really believing it still), but yes, there it was, next to his passport holding his visa for a visit to Earth and away from the wrath of the company that was still trying to find them.

But with less and less success as they lost more and more people, Zico's team the first to leave when the news broke. Joon's star rose with each scoop he got, reporting everything Taewoon had given him, his call of "Your time is _up_ , Mr. CEO" taken up by the public and then by the employees. By then, though, he and his team had recovered (and it had taken a long time, he hadn't known just how badly off they were; the doctor at the clinic had told him that he didn't think any of them would have lasted an hour on Mars) and were being shipped off the station to be out of the reach of the head of Starlight.

"That was the last call," Jungwoo said, and nudged Taewoon.

Moving easily, Taewoon stood and beckoned at the men behind him; in a clatter, they stood as well, trying and failing to not look like the team they were. Taewoon rolled his eyes and turned away from Jungwoo. "How do you keep yours from being so obvious?" he asked Zico, who laughed.

"Have you looked at mine?" he asked, gesturing to where his own team stood close to Taewoon's, Pyo following SeJoon and SungMin's conversation closely. "I think we're just going to have to accept that they'll always look like that. Let's go," he added, and pushed Taewoon toward the gate.

Taewoon grinned at him and strode forward, handing over his ticket and passport to the gate agent. He heard the rest following behind, but didn't look back for one last glimpse of his home.

He had eyes only for the future.


End file.
